The Gilis Islands are a dreamy paradise, just a boat ride away from Bali. On this little Indonesian archipelago, there is not a motorized vehicle in sight, only cidomo - funky horse-drawn buggies. Yes, on Gili Trawangan you can find backpackers smoking weed, flirting, and hanging out. Or like us, you can escape to the sleepy side of the island where there is nothing to do but snorkel with sea turtles, read novels, have bonfires on the beach, and watch epic sunsets. I think Gili T is my new happy place.

I've noticed that travel to remote spots often means sacrificing good eats. But at the whitewashed and stylish Gili Eco Villas, we lucked out with a gem of a cook - Pip a la Supiana, whose food wasn't just decent island fare, it was fantastic. Pip has that magic touch: with simplicity, respect of ingredients, love, and the subtlety of perfect preparation that looks effortless. Everything Pip makes is full of freshness and flavor. My kind of food. (2012: An update on Pip.... sadly, he is no longer at Gili Eco Villas.)

Pip let me join him in his kitchen one afternoon and I had so much fun. We made fragrant yellow rice, prawn skewers on lemongrass, and this delectable squid dish. One of the best things about cooking with Pip was learning more about his palate of spices that are so different from my typical pantry staples. In my Berkeley kitchen, I tend to favor garlic, rosemary, parsley, thyme, lemon, and mint - where Pip tosses in lemongrass, turmeric, ginger, sesame, chilies, lots of lime, and honey. There is no reason why the rest of us cannot try to cook like Pip: all of his "exotic" ingredients are actually easy to find. I know I will take his cooking home with me to California.

I so enjoyed eating Pip's squid that I ordered it every night we stayed in the Gilis. I won't have the opportunity to cook this squid dish myself until we are back in California later this summer, but I couldn't wait that long to share Pip's recipe with you.

I can imagine 10 years from now coming back to Indonesia and finding Pip with a slew of successful restaurants of his own. He is that good.

Grind garlic, ginger, and sea salt in a mortar and pestle until you have a well-blended paste. Transfer this mixture to a bowl large enough to marinate the squid. Add juice of 1/2 lime and toss the already squeezed lime into the bowl. (I love that Peep puts already juiced citrus into the marinade - a rustic alternative to adding zest.) Add the olive oil. Stir the marinade and set aside.

Cut squid tubes open so that you have large flat pieces. Cut squid into smaller pieces (maybe 2x4 inches each) then score the squid by making shallow cuts in a grid-like pattern. Add squid to the marinade bowl, and rub marinade all over the squid especially into the scored grooves. Cover and refrigerate for an hour.

Chop and prep all ingredients for the sauce. Set aside.

After the squid has marinated for an hour or so, heat up a large skillet over medium high heat. Add a tablespoon or two of sesame oil, enough to coat the bottom of the pan. Add the squid. Squeeze in the juice of another lime over the top of the squid while it is cooking. Cook squid pieces for a few minutes on each side until done. ( I would love to try cooking this squid on our grill at home. I think the smokey flavor would be delish.)

Set aside the cooked squid. Toss all of the sauce ingredients into the already hot pan that still has the cooking juices from the squid. Stir sauce and cook over medium heat for 2-3 minutes until the flavors are released. Pour sauce over the squid, sprinkle sesame seeds over the top and serve. Yum!

Hi Erin.first I would like to say so sory tnat I hvnt keep in touch with U n My blog,but Im thinking of U everyday,dreaming of my own Rest is always in my mind.I will soon send U my new recipe but I need a very best potograper as U are,he he he.i will try my best.its relly easy,yess Im agree with my Erin.roast them in hot oven n toss them with mixs herbs bread crumbs.htank U Erin,,!!!

Stephanie is right, your first picture took my breath away. To move from that calm and zen spot, to the bright colors, laughter and fun in Pip's eyes was so fun and flirty! Yummy squid dish with the peppers. Was the dish spicy?

I read your posting just after dinner and confess that I was uncomfortably over-satiated at the time. That said, I found my mouth watering only moments later - both for the delectably photographed squid and the Gilis Islands! I can't wait to try my hand at this dish, and have chalked up yet another travel destination. Awesome on both accounts. Thank you for another beautiful post!

I had the great pleasure to be there with E (and our kids) and the meal was perfection. Pip is a beautiful guy who makes remarkable food in extreme circumstances. Every day we ate with gusto and big smiles. E's photos will forever be treasures to me, bringing me right back to moments of such exquisite joy.

What a joy it is to follow your culinary adventures! I am not only in awe of your yummy eats, but your photographs could not be more beautiful! And, in truth, your entire blog exudes your unique chic-ness; your amazing style, fun spirit, aesthetic sensibility, deep love for family and friends, and creative drive to create something of substance and quality that will help others... I remain continually inspired...

i am new to this blogand it is great. a friend told me about it and now i check it out every day and tell all my pals about it. i havent made any of the recipes yet but im starting rhis weekend. thank you erin

What a fun island! And weren't you fortunate to find Pip? Traveling to isolated islands almost invariably means the food is disappointing. What a treasure that man is and how generous he was with his recipe and his time!I love squid...use it in salads all the time.

I have tried squid and I always turn it into rubber. I passed this site on to Deb who adores squid so she can try it since she gets a squid craving often. She can have it more regularly if she cooks it herself. Beautiful pictures as always. Love the pretty leaf dish against the squid. I can feel the sand between my toes. Fantastic!

I hope this comment posts, because my comment on the sweet potato fries gave me trouble. Well actually Blogger did, and since it's not there I suspect it's floating around the internets somewhere!This dish looks incredible and I am so inspired by the colors and imagined flavors. I may have to give it a try with shrimp until I can get some decent squid.Safe travels to you and your family on the next leg of your journey. Literally around the world for you guys!

oh Pip! We cycled together to the farmer's market of gili T and then he cooked Gautam and I the most memorable trip of our honeymoon (and maybe of our lives). his sambal is to die for. so wonderful to see his photo! Hope we'll see you at the Berkeley Farmer's markets soon Erin and family!

yes, Pip was so great. we stayed 4 amazing days at gili eco vilas! even G cooked one night in our villa using the gorgeous red lombok chilis- they were my favorite local ingredient - sweet, with all the flavor and heat of a spicy chili, but none of the burn! Deepa

Deepa - wow! I guess we really were on the same trail in Indo:) I cannot tell you how happy I was to get your comments and to know that you guys shared this experience in the Gilis and ate Pip's food. You are right those red chilies were so good.... Mmmmmm getting hungry now!

Even I have never heard about this lil island, or i should say one real paradise on Earth, i'm impressed by your story about it. Great oportunity for you to cook something different from your culture, and smell all these spices :) And i wish Pip a lot of sucess in his future restaurants :) cause i really liked the dish. Squid looks so delicious, and i regret i wasn't at your place :)